Monument record 10941 - Post medieval structural evidence on Dee Lane

Archaeological investigations at The Bars in 1998 recorded evidence of structural features of a post medieval date in trenches 1 & 2 of the excavations fronting onto Dee Lane.

The evidence was largely confined to the northern part of trench 1, close to trench 2, and consisted of a U shaped stone structure [135] surviving to a height of one course with large sandstone blocks with a dressed interior with roughly cut unexposed blocks. The main fill of the feature was limited to demolition material. A cobbled surface [171], previously excavated in 1990, was also identified in the northern part of trench 1 with a row of six kerbstones on the southern side suggesting a road aligned south-west to north-east.

A large pit [316] in the north western part of the trench containing two walls [322; 335] also contained a primary fill of dark silty material and quantities of animal horn cores.

In the adjacent trench, a square structure of brick and stone walls [116; 117; 120; 122] was excavated, only one wall of which was sandstone [116] with a floor of yellow brick. Immediately to the north of this site was a cellar associated with the neighbouring property showing a similar construction technique. (1)

<1> University of Manchester Archaeological Unit, 1999, The Bars, Chester: a Preliminary Report on the Excavations, 1998 - 1999, R3236 (Client Report). SCH6588.

<2> Anon, 1999, Building Surveys undertaken in 1998. (Article in Journal). SCH5771.

<3> Anon, 2000, Excavations and Evaluations undertaken in 1999 (Article in Journal). SCH5775.